Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Civil Aviation (Gaca) has invited prequalified firms to submit proposals for the contract to build the new terminal 5 building at King Khalid International airport in Riyadh.

According to sources in Riyadh, about seven groups have been invited to participate in the tender. The project is being tendered as a design and build package, and the submission date for bids is 17 November.

The groups invited to bid on the tender include:

• Al-Arrab Al-Arrab Contracting Company (local)/ TAV (Turkey)
• Al-Bawani (local)/ Vinci Construction (France)
• Al-Latifia Trading & Contracting (local)/ Al-Habtoor Leighton (UAE/Australia)
• Al-Mabani General Contractors (local)/Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) (Athens-based)/Drake & Scull International (UAE)
• Saudi Binladin Group (local)
• Joannou & Paraskevaides (Overseas) (Cyprus)
• Yuksel (Turkey)/Saudi Constructioneers (local)

The new terminal 5 is part of Gaca’s significant expansion programme for King Khalid International, which will increase the airport’s annual capacity to about 24 million passengers from the current 14 million.

In July, companies submitted bids for the project management contract to oversee the renovation of the existing Terminal 3 and Terminal 4, as well as adding four new concourses – A, B, C and D.

In July, the local Al-Mabani General Contractors was awarded an estimated SR219.5m ($58.5m) contract to build a new apron at the Riyadh airport. The work will involve the construction of an apron at Terminal 3 and the currently unused Terminal 4.

King Khalid International airport is located about 35 kilometres north of the capital.